【双语灵修】人的局限 Human Limitations
“反倒虚己…” - 腓2:7
每年12月我们都会庆祝耶稣的降生。所以这个月我们一直在默想 “道成肉身”的主题——耶稣是完全的人，和我们一样是人。
但耶稣不仅仅是人。祂也是神。正如教会的一个古老信条所说，祂是“出自真神的真神”（true God from true God）。
这是否限制了耶稣的人性？祂的名字旁边是否加了备注的星号？耶稣和我们一样是人，但又是不一样的人?
腓立比书第2章告诉我们，耶稣放下了作为神的超越性，反倒虚己，谦卑地成为人的样式，羞辱地死在十字架上。听起来，耶稣完全接受了祂人性的局限。
做人就是有局限性。诚然，我们是按着神的形像被造的（创 1:27）。诚然，神赐给我们荣耀尊贵为冠冕。（诗 8:5）。但我们毕竟是有限的生命。归根结底，我们是被死亡所限制。无论我们具有怎样的力量和才干，激情与梦想，死终究会带走我们。
死亡也夺走了耶稣的性命。耶稣——永恒的神，作为人，祂死了。如果祂经历了人类的终极局限，那么也许就意味着祂经历了人类的所有局限。这很值得我们思想。
祷告
耶稣，我们的局限时常使我们感到沮丧。其中一些甚至让我们一想到就感觉害怕。你懂得这一点，因为你为了我们的缘故，也曾经历了这些局限，甚至包括其中最可怕的部份。谢谢你。
腓立比书 2:1-8
1所以，在基督里若有什么劝勉，爱心有什么安慰，圣灵有什么交通，心中有什么慈悲怜悯，2你们就要意念相同，爱心相同，有一样的心思，有一样的意念，使我的喜乐可以满足。3凡事不可结党，不可贪图虚浮的荣耀，只要存心谦卑，各人看别人比自己强。4各人不要单顾自己的事，也要顾别人的事。5你们当以基督耶稣的心为心。6他本有神的形象，不以自己与神同等为强夺的，7反倒虚己，取了奴仆的形象，成为人的样式；8既有人的样子，就自己卑微，存心顺服以至于死，且死在十字架上。
Human Limitations
"He made himself nothing. . . ." - Philippians 2:7
Every December we celebrate the birth of Jesus. So this month we've been wondering about the incarnation—how Jesus is human, as human as any of us.
But Jesus is not just human. He is also God. As one of the church's ancient creeds puts it, he is "true God from true God."
Does that put limitations on Jesus' humanness? Does it put an asterisk next to his name? Is Jesus as human as any of us but not the same as any of us?
Philippians 2 tells us that Jesus left behind the advantages of being God, that he made himself nothing, that he humbled himself by becoming human, and that he suffered a shameful death. It sounds like Jesus embraced his humanness completely.
To be human is to be limited. Yes, we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). And yes, we are crowned with glory and honor from God (Psalm 8:5). But we are limited beings. Ultimately, we are limited by death. Whatever our strength and skills, whatever our passions and dreams, death will claim us.
Death claimed Jesus too. Jesus, who is eternal God, died. If he shared that ultimate human limitation with all of us, then maybe he shared the whole array of limitations that are part of being human. That's worth wondering about.
Prayer
Jesus, our limitations frustrate us. Some of them even scare us. You know this because you experienced it, even the worst of it, for our sake. Thank you. Amen.